Snow Angels
by MCalhen
Summary: Insanely fluffy one-shot. Peony x Nephry - takes place when they're children, in Keterburg. A fic in which Jade always ruins their romantic plans. This is his sister Peony's talking about, after all. Not angsty.


Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss. I wouldn't want it anyway - I'm still trying to figure out how to steal Tales of Eternia away from Namco Bandai. That's what i really want!

Author's Note: I'm so sad sometimes that I like this pairing. Nephry and Peony are so cute together, yet she's married to someone else because of her social status! So I decided to do a story about them as kids. I warn you: this is insanely fluffy.

* * *

Just as he made it to the door, Peony felt a hand nab the end of his shirt sleeve and pull. It was not hard enough to knock him over, but he did turn to the source and came face to face with Jade, who only smirked at him.

"When it comes to my sister, I have eyes in the back of my head," Jade explained, letting loose Peony's shirt.

Peony scowled in return and smoothed his sleeve out where Jade had latched onto it. It was the second attempt today to get away from Jade and Saphir since visiting Jade's house, and it was as equally unsuccessful as the first. Who knew the young genius not only had a cruel streak, but a protective, brotherly one as well?

Peony would have to exercise caution if he wanted to get near Nephry while Jade was still in the house – even though Jade's threats were often empty, Peony hadn't forgotten the incident when they had gone ice skating last month. It couldn't be more amazing that Saphir was persistently tagging behind Jade immediately after his recovery. Did he not sense Jade's despicable nature, even when Jade had sent him through the ice? The boy absolutely seethed when he had to be around Peony, and worse when Jade was around Peony – yet Peony had done nothing so cruel as what Jade had done.

Fortunately, the whimpering boy had absolutely no problems with trying to keep Jade's attention on him and away from Peony. Even now, Saphir got up from his seat and tugged at Jade's shirt sleeve, thrusting a book under Jade's nose and insisting Jade explain the formula to him. As Jade's gaze fell to the pages, taking the book into his hands, Peony caught Saphir's envious gaze. Peony shrugged it off, rubbing the back of his neck and looking towards the ceiling. It wasn't like he wanted Jade's attention. Jade didn't look nearly close enough to Nephry to be a substitute. The real thing was probably sitting prim and proper at her bedroom desk, her beautiful locks of hair cascading down her back, her beautiful gaze looking down at a book as she studied…

It was all Jade's fault Peony couldn't be there to see it!

Gorgeous physical appearances aside, Nephry was intelligent (a Balfour trait, it seemed) and always kind. In moments when Saphir tripped over his shoelaces or his nose began to run, Nephry would offer him a hand or a tissue. In those rare instances, Peony had to hold back the desire to find something nice to trip on. Yes, it would be nice to fall into those arms while walking around the town and suddenly "stumbling" upon something. And then he could nuzzle against that warm coat of hers, and maybe even smell her shampoo – and then Jade would most likely use a fonic arte to send him flying to the other side of Keterburg.

Peony's imagination got away with him during his period of boredom. He sat away from Jade and Saphir, waiting for the perfect moment to come when he could slip away and visit Nephry. But all the fantasies in the world could not compensate for the real thing, nor did the real thing like to happen. Nearly ninety percent of the time when he came over to Jade's house, Jade monopolized him, and Saphir attempted to monopolize Jade. Jade didn't even have a use for his company, but Peony came over for that rare ten percent chance to see Nephry.

The door of the study opened and all three boys' heads turned to the source. Peony's eyes shined when he saw Nephry standing in the doorway, bundled in a pink and white fuzzy winter jacket with matching gloves, scarf, cap, winter boots, and ear muffs. She was growing more elegant every time he saw her.

"Let's play outside in the snow," Nephry insisted.

"It's cold," Saphir stated, sniffing. Peony glanced at the box of tissues sitting on the side table next to him and wondered if he should throw them at Saphir's head, but he didn't dare do something so mean in front of Nephry.

"I'll go with you," Peony offered smoothly, grinning pleasantly at her. Nephry's eyes lit up with a sparkle, only making Peony grin wider.

"Then I shall go as well," Jade said suddenly, standing up rather quickly. Saphir was up just as quickly, no longer protesting about the cold. Peony didn't care – Nephry had invited all of them, which meant that Jade couldn't prevent Peony from going without hurting his sister's feelings.

"You're evil," Peony whispered to Jade when Nephry had left the room, headed for the front door. He could have been playing outside in the snow with Nephry alone, building a snowman out in the front yard and stealing kisses with her.

All three boys pulled on their winter garments and Peony was the quickest. While Jade was still pulling on his snow boots, Peony snatched up Nephry's hand in his own and made out the front door with her like he was taking her to go elope. How he wished they were running off to elope! Not that it was legal for a fourteen-year-old to elope with a girl of thirteen. Then again, he was in line to take the throne as Emperor of Malkuth – he'd rewrite the laws to make an exception!

"I've tried to steal you away, but your brother is a tyrant," Peony said, putting his arm around her waist and dancing with her in the snow to the side of the house.

"He told me that you would be too busy to play when you came over," Nephry said with a delighted laugh. "But I knew better than that."

Peony reached in and kissed Nephry on the lips softly before pulling away.

"We don't want your brother to catch me," he said with a wink, tugging gently on her hand and pulling her over to a tree. Peony's timing was perfect – he heard the front door open and close again loudly and both Jade and Saphir appeared from around the corner of the house.

"Jade, let's make a snowman," Saphir insisted.

"Yes, let's." Jade didn't once keep his eyes off Nephry and Peony while Saphir squatted down in the snow and began packing it together to start the base of the snowman. Peony's nose scrunched in disgust at Jade, but Jade seemed unphased by the face.

""Let's make snow angels," Nephry said in a low voice, tugging at Peony's hand. "Don't make that face at him. You're only challenging him by doing that."

Peony's expression softened and he turned away from Jade and followed Nephry around the yard, searching for a good spot to make snow angels in. Once they found an untouched patch of snow, Nephry let go of his hand and flopped down onto the snow on her back, Peony following after her. The twilight sky was dazzling with stars now as they brushed snow aside with their legs and arms, giggling together. They had found a patch away from Jade's eyes, though Peony was sure Jade knew exactly what they were doing. Jade always knew those things.

Peony finally lifted up off the ground, shaking bits of snow out of the hair sticking out from under his cap with a finger before he reached over and pulled Nephry up. He leaned in, kissing her intensely on the lips, feeling her own cold lips press insistently against his own. He warmed them quickly, imagining that someday he would take her to Grand Chokmah with him, where it was never this cold and was often warm. But he loved Keterburg. He'd never admit he loved this cold place – but he'd never deny it, because she lived in Keterburg, and he loved her.

Slam! An impact hit against the side of Peony's head, rudely pulling Peony's lips from Nephry's. It was cold and wet now on the side of his head and snow tumbled onto his coat.

"Sorry, it was a stray snowball," Jade said with a smirk, shrugging with his hands out. Saphir was standing next to him, looking disheartened that Jade had walked away from their snowman project to keep tabs on what Peony was doing.

Peony jumped to his feet, pausing only to help Nephry to her feet before he took off after Jade, a smile on his lips and a chunk of snow clutched in his hand. If his friend wanted a snowball war, they would have one!


End file.
